Fire extinguisher



9 @33 RPREFONTMNE FIRE EXTINGUISHER i@et 24 Filed Sep't. 19, 1932INVENTOR ROLLAND PREFONTNNE Patented Oct 24, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENTlOFT-ICE Application September 19, 1932 f Serial No. 633.761

4 Claims. (Cl. 169-36) This invention relates to improvements in nreextinguishers of the hand grenade type.

They principal feature of this, invention resides in the provision of animproved form of glass vessel for containing the fire extinguishingliquid, said vessel being designed so that the manufacture, filling andsealing thereof may be accomplished at a relatively low cost comparedwith present practice.

Another feature resides in providing the glass -vessel with a weakenedwall portion whereby the vessel is readily fractured by internalpressure to permit escape of the fire extinguishing liquid when thetemperature of the atmosphere to which the vessel is exposed exceeds a.predetermined value.

A. further feature resides in providing the vessel with a special formof seal that may be readily fractured by the pressure of the thumb ornger to permit use of the vessel as a hand sprinkler or to ensure escapeof the liquid when the vessel is thrown into the fire. i Other featuresand advantages of the invention will be more readily understood from thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a nre extinguisherprovided in accordance with this invention. i

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the fire extinguisherappearing in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the mannerin which the lling tube forming part of the vessel seal may'be readilyfractured by pressure of the thumb to permit use of the fireextinguisher as a sprinkler or to ensure escape of the liquid when thevessel is thrown into the re.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the manner inwhich the weakened wall portion of the vessel is disrupted by internalpressure when the vessel is heated to a predetermined extent by thesurrounding atmosphere.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view indicating the manner inwhich the sealing device including the flllingtube is assembled with thebody portion of the vessel.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 11 designates a glass vesselhaving a restricted neck .portion 12 made relatively thin and weakcompared with the main body portion 13. The vessel 11 contains a ilreextinguishing liquid 14 intro- 'duced therein through the filling tubeof a separately formed sealing device attached to the neck 55 portion12. The filling tube of the sealing device is indicated at 15 and hasits inner end Joined by a solid mass of glass 16 to the inner end of aAsurrounding tubular member 17. The member 17 is also made of glass andhas its outer end shaped to provide a flaring portion or flange 00 18joined to the end of the neck portion 12. The inner'end of the glassmember 17 is closed of! by the mass 16 which is pierced to provide anopening 19 placing the inner end of the filling tube 15 in communicationwith the interior of 65 the vessel 11. That portion of the sealingdevice comprising the member 17 and the solid glass mass. 16 lies whollywithin the receptacle 11, but v the length of the filling tube issuchthat the outer portion of this tube projects a substantial distancebeyond the outer end of the member 17 and the neck portion 12. The outerend of the filling tube 15 is sealed or closed oil as indicated at 15aafter the fire extinguishing liquid has been introduced into the vessel11 via the filling 75 tube and the opening 19.y

The fire extinguisher described herein may be' supported in an invertedposition from that shown by any suitable form of supporting bracketusually provided for extinguishers of this type. If a fire should breakout in the vicinity of the extinguisher so that the atmosphere adjacentthe vessel 11 becomes highly heated, the internal pressure developed inthe vessel will, when the wall structure of the vessel becomes heated toa 35 predetermined degree, cause the neck portion 12 to fracture, asindicated in Fig. 4. The resulting separation of the'sealing assemblyfrom the body of the vessel permits free escape of the fireextinguishing liquid.

The device described herein may also be used as a hand sprinkler. Inthis case the vessel 11 is grasped in one hand and thumb pressureapplied to one side of the lling tube 15 so that the tube is broken awayfrom the annular member 17, the break usually occurring at the pointwhere the filling tube is joined to the solid glass mass 16. Thecontainer is then held with the neck l2 pointing downwards and agitatedto facilitate escape of the fire extinguishing liquid through theopening 19.

When the container isto be thrown into the fire inthe manner of anordinary hand grenade it is also preferable that the filling tube befirst broken off in the manner previously described so 10J as to ensureescape of the fire extinguishing liquid in case the vessel should fallon `some cushioning structure that would prevent it from shattering.

In making the fire extinguisher described herein, the seal assemblycomprising the hollow member 17, the filling tube 15 and the piercedsolid connecting mass 16 is produced as a separate unit by well knownglass making methods and is then inserted in the neck portion 12 of thevessel 11 as shown in Fig. d so that when the insertion oi the sealingassembly is complete, the iiared portion or flange 18 at the outer endof the member 17 engages the end of the neck portion 12 to which it isthen fused to form a substantially integral connection. The ireextinguishing liquid is then introduced into the vessel 11 through thetube 15 and the opening 19 in such a way that the liquid is under aslight pressure. After the filling operation is complete the outer endof the filling tube which is open during the filling operation is fusedoil or sealed as indicated at 15a.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:-

1. A nre extinguisher of the class described including a vessel having are-entrant neck portion, a filling tube arranged within said neckportion and a solid mass joining the inner end of said neck portion tothe inner end of said filling tube, said mass being pierced to providean opening placing the bore of the filling tube in communication withthe interior of said vessel.

2. A iire extinguisher comprising a vessel having a restricted neckportion made relatively thin and Weak compared with the remaining wallportion of the vessel, a tubular member arranged within the vessel andhaving its outer end Joined to the end of said neck portion, a fillingtube arranged within said tubular member, the inner ends of said fillingtube and member being Joined together by a solid mass pierced to providean opening placing the bore oi' the filling tube in communication withthe interior oi the vessel.

3. A sealed vessel for containing a fire extinguishing substancecomprising a body portion formed with an opening, a tubular memberarranged within said body portion and having its outer end joinedthereto at said opening, and a filling tube arranged within said tubularmember, the inner ends of said filling tube and member being Joinedtogether so that the bore of the filling tube is .in communication withthe interior of the vessel.

d. A vessel for containing a re extinguishing substance comprising abody portion provided with an opening surrounded by a reentrant tubu-vlar member and a filling tube arranged within said member, the innerends of said filling tube and member being joined together so that thebore of the filling tube is in communication with the interior of thevessel, the outer end o the filling tube being projected beyond theouter end of said member. y

ROLLAND PREFONT

